Documentaries have long been used to educate and inform viewers about real-life events that are typically either skimmed over in conversations or regarded as largely irrelevant. They’re an important tool of education inside and outside the classroom, bringing new and in-depth perspectives on social, political and cultural issues. Though you might associate documentaries with that one boring history class you took in high school (guilty!), when done right, they present a compelling visual experience that makes the topic and the creator’s passion shine.
With the evolution of immersive virtual reality entertainment, documentaries can do more than present viewers with 4k resolution screenings. They are now able to offer a portal to viewers in real time, allowing them to visit the locations of the documentary, too, and adding a new dimension — both physically and metaphorically — to the storytelling experience.
This is exactly what Chloé Lee accomplished with her extended reality documentary “Reflections of Little Red Dot,” which gives voice to the various neighborhoods of Singapore. Starting the project in 2015, 50 years after Singapore gained its independence, this documentary has been ten years in the making, and after viewing the film, I could tell the level of dedication Lee put into preserving the history of a country that has meant so much to her.
Rich in both its imagery and its description of the people and memories they hold, “Reflections of Little Red Dot” vividly honors Singapore’s past while staying open-minded to the country’s future.
The film is organized into slides that the viewer inserts into a video player. As I put on the virtual reality headset and headphones, I was immediately transported into a room with a small circular table and a large window looking down a road in Singapore. At this table, each seat allowed me to hear from a new person and their viewpoints on the topic chosen for that slide. The soundscape from this documentary was mesmerizing — I could hear the city sounds with clarity, and it only added authenticity to the experience as I listened to the Singaporean residents. My only gripe with this documentary’s form was that I didn’t have enough time to watch everything, but I was warned of this before viewing it. Ultimately, it felt indicative of the reality of gathering knowledge: We have so little time to learn so much.
The documentary covers nature preservation, food culture, multiculturalism and nationalistic success. We hear from entrepreneurs and small restaurant owners trying to navigate a faster way of life in a newly urbanized environment. We hear from farmers and villagers in different kampung trying to honor tradition in communities that now value modern lifestyles and office jobs. We hear from old and young individuals trying to negotiate with the government about the state of housing projects and the impacts of gentrification. Truly, the range of rippling emotions and experiences from Singapore’s rapid development could be felt through every single one of these conversations.
After the screening, I had the opportunity to talk with Lee about her motivations behind the documentary. She shared with me that when she visited Singapore, it didn’t look like the one her mother grew up in, which piqued her curiosity about the disappearance of Singapore’s history since her mother had lived there. Thus, for her project, Lee collected over 40 hours of footage in order to preserve the images and people of Singapore’s neighborhoods before they changed even more, of which only a small portion was included in the documentary.
Rather than presenting the interviews linearly, Lee chose a more unorthodox structure. She didn’t want the straightforward narrative that most documentaries follow. Instead, she wanted a patchwork of stories interwoven together to create a walkable archive, allowing viewers to experience history with a refreshing human touch. This worked in her favor because the onus was put on the viewer to piece together the story. Sometimes, I would see the same person again discussing a different topic, which resulted in a much more fruitful experience than having all the information served on a platter.
Before immersing myself in this documentary, I didn’t know a lot about Singapore’s history. In fact, I probably had a very skewed perception of the country, as my main exposure to Singapore in the media came from “Crazy Rich Asians.” I didn’t think about the diversity of neighborhoods and human experience in Singapore, especially during its initial stages of urbanization. But thanks to the documentary, I have a newfound sense of inquisitiveness and learned ignorance, especially about what I see on the surface, and how it may not tell even a fraction of the whole story.
Daily Arts Writer Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
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